Highlights
Race 3 (3:15:34): Watch Race
Post R3 Interview: 3:51:05
Tailem Bend hosted round 2 with the shorter west course layout in play. Tailem Bend is a purpose-built racetrack built to international specifications, including Formula 1. It’s an extremely good technical GT track with moderate tyre degradation, all the making for good racing. With a long pit straight and many fast-flowing corners, means driver experience and technique plays a crucial role to be successful.
During the practice sessions, again Hamish proved that he was up to the task finishing in the top 5. Whilst Hamish had never driven the west course, without prior testing, he made a confident start to the weekend. Drivers did note that it was difficult to post a competitive lap on the west layout during the sessions due to the large number of cars on the track
Qualifying was messy as drivers jostled for position to post a fast lap. Hamish finished in P8, after failing to get a clean lap in and a 3-spot grid penalty ensuring for hampering a competitor’s qualifying lap.
Race 1 (12 laps), out of P8 was always going to be tricky for Hamish to make up much needed grid positions to better his chances in the races to follow. Without one lap completed, another competitor made early contact into the rear of Hamish, pushing him off the track spinning out of control. Hamish then recovered chasing the pack from the rear of the field making the best of a bad situation, only to be deemed to have made an unsafe pass late in the race, with race officials issuing a time penalty that saw him relegated to all the way to the back to P24.
Next up was the Endurance race 2 (24 laps) saw Hamish start out of P24, with it all to do in front of him. After what could only be described as a clinical performance saw Hamish cut through the field in one of his best races to date, finishing the race in P3. Simply a remarkable finish to race 2 and a cracking start to Saturday racing
Saturday afternoon saw the final race of the weekend, race 3 over 15 laps, Hamish starting out of P3. After a cracking start, Hamish moved up to P2 in the first lap and showed genuine pace early with the top few places trading regularly. After a full course yellow mid race then upon release the competitor car in front of Hamish drove off the track at the final corner and after evasive action, saw Hamish in an unavoidable overlap with a competitor car prior to finishing line. This left Hamish with a judge of fact 5 second penalty imposed during the race. Hamish crossed the line 1st but was subsequently relegated to P3 post penalty. Again, a stunning race, despite the result.
Wrapping up, a weekend of highs and lows. After an average qualifying result and a messy race 1 that saw him relegated to P24, after a tenacious fightback saw him finish race 2 in P3 and be first past the post in the final race. Hamish finished the round remaining 4th in the Pro championship and 1st in the Endurance Cup.
